Share this story

ShareAll sharing options for:49ers Super Bowl timeline

Welcome to Super Bowl Sunday. The San Francisco 49ers have turned things around after an awful 2018 to find themselves going to the big dance. A lot and I mean A LOT has happened to get them here, so I figured I’d start from the beginning and attempt to compile everything that got them here. Here is your timeline of events. To the best of my ability, I’ve added the breaking news in the order it happened. So the first item for January 1st would be the first piece of breaking news that day and so on. Note any reports that came after the events are not included UNLESS I find it necessary to explain a particular decision or it was groundbreaking. So, the report that Kyle Shanahan was candid with Jed York on the state of the roster won’t be included because that was not a news story until seven months after the hire. When we get to 2019, you’ll find things get a bit light, it’s just because this was getting a bit too long.

Also, I won’t be breaking down things game by game unless it’s fulfilling a narrative or something huge. So don’t look for final scores of the 2017 crud we were subjected to unless it’s the string of heartbreaking losses the 49ers suffered.

The Head Coaching Search

2016:

December 31st:

-News is leaked that not only Trent Baalke will be fired from the San Francisco 49ers, but Chip Kelly as well. This is a desire to rebuild after a 2-14 season and the 49ers hiring a head coach that could co-exist with a general manager. Baalke had a reputation for being difficult to work with, a rep that cost former 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh his job (after three straight seasons of NFC Championship-or-better appearances). After Harbaugh, both of Baalke’s next hires were one-and-done with the the team after dismal seasons. The 49ers had enough of everything and pressed the button.

-Everyone stumbles around the obvious and worst kept secret in the NFL. No announcements or titles of Shanahan as head coach can be made—but it’s the elephant in the room.-It’s reported that Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have six-year contracts. Something unprecedented at the time.

February 8th:

February 9th:

-Lynch and Shanahan speak to the media for the first time. Lynch promises the following:

“People who know me well will tell you that I’m not into a whole lot of promises, but I will make a few. I’ve been pretty clear in saying that this week, [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and I are on the same page that we’re going to put together and assemble a team and how long that takes we don’t know, but we’re going to assemble a team that will make you proud. I can promise you this; we’re going to have players that will compete, that will compete every day, that will compete to be the best that they can be. They’re going to be great teammates. We’re going to have a team that plays fast. We’re going to have a team that plays physical. We believe in those things. We’re going to have guys with great character, football character and we’re going to have guys that are interested in making their community a better place.”

-In the press conference Kyle Shanahan announces he will not hire an offensive coordinator and will serve that role as head coach. This comes under criticism. The rules of the new regime are simple: Shanahan has control of the 53-man roster while Lynch has control of the 90-man. Lynch points out that both are, “subject to approval of the other guy” indicating that he and Shanahan will work together.

-Both Lynch and Shanahan stress patience to start as they get things turned around.

February 12th

-Longtime running backs coach Tom Rathman departs from the 49ers. The 49ers wanted to keep him in a different role as Bobby Turner was coming in as running backs coach. Rathman instead decides it’s time to move on.

February 14th

February 17th

February 22nd

-Shanahan and Lynch meet with Colin Kaepernick. Details of the meeting are scarce. Months later it’s revealed that they were upfront about what offense they wanted to run. An offense they didn’t think Kaepernick could drive.

March 1st

March 3rd

March 6th

-The great roster purge of 2017 begins. Wide receiver Torrey Smith is reported to be in the process of being released as well as wide receiver Quinton Patton. the 49ers continue with releases as Shanahan and Lynch watch film of the 2016 49ers. The roster numbers as a result are thinned out.

March 7th

-It’s all but confirmed the 49ers want Kirk Cousins as the quarterback and Cousins wants the 49ers as his team to be reunited with Kyle Shanahan. Just one problem: he’s under contract with Washington. Out of spite, Washington is looking to fleece the 49ers in a trade for the quarterback due to the fallout between owner Dan Snyder and the Shanahans.

March 10th

April 27th

-The 2017 NFL Draft begins. 49ers make a trade with the Chicago Bears so they [the Bears] can move up one spot and draft quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The 49ers then slip to No. 3 and take Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas.

-49ers trade back into the first round and draft Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster. Foster was sent home from the combine due to arguments with medical staff. While a huge playmaker at Alabama, Foster came with severe character concerns and a shoulder injury that pushed him back from a top-10 pick to the tail end of the first round.

The 2017 season — The Elegant Tank

July 28th

-49ers training camp begins. Bryan Hoyer becomes the clear starter with cornerback Rashad Robinson (a carryover from Trent Baalke) is getting the nod for cornerback. Robinson is a noted trash talker and did even more against the GOAT Jerry Rice in a practice where Rice ran routes against the young defense.

August 31st

-49ers trade for Detroit Lions guard Laken Tomlinson. The trade is seen as a fresh start for Tomlinson who had not done much to merit his first-round status in the draft. Tomlinson was taken 28th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft

September 10th

-49ers regular season begins. Their first game they are blown out by the Carolina Panthers at Levi’s Stadium 23-3. Reuben Foster injures his ankle and is declared out for several weeks.

-This loss, along with several others has Mark Saltveit dub the 2017 season as “The Elegant Tank.”

September 21st

-49ers play the greatest Thursday Night game of the year against the Los Angeles Rams. Early Hoyer mistakes and a egregious offensive pass interference call late give the Rams the victory 41-39. This follows a close away game against the Seattle Seahawks where the 49ers lost 12-9. The narrative is the 49ers are playing in fun games, but they keep losing heartbreakers at the last minute.

October 1st

October 8th

The 49ers lose another heartbreaker to the Indianapolis Colts. In this game NaVorro Bowman is pulled. Bowman expresses his frustration with playing time publicly.

October 13th

-After failing to find a trade partner, the 49ers release Bowman due to comments, and need to move on with the younger defense. Lynch says the release was a favor for Bowman so he wasn’t traded to a team he didn’t want to go to.

October 15th

-C.J. Beathard relieves an ineffective Bryan Hoyer in the second quarter of a game against Washington. 49ers suffer another narrow loss, 26-24. Beathard named 49ers starter going forward.

October 31st

-Robinson traded to the New York Jets. The trade was later revealed to be because of attitude problems stemming from a flight. Robinson’s play didn’t help as he was getting more PI flags than pass breakups.

November 12th

-49ers win their first game in the Kyle Shanahan/John Lynch era, beating the New York Giants 31-21 at Levi’s Stadium. The win was also notable for Marquise Goodwin who lost his unborn child in a miscarriage earlier in the day.

November 26th

-The 49ers are manhandled at home by the Seahawks. With 01:06 to go in the game, Beathard is injured and Jimmy Garoppolo comes in to finish the game. Within a minute, Garoppolo scores a meaningless touchdown (for the game) but fires up the crowd. This is called by Pat, The Transformation.

November 28th

-Garoppolo is expected to start as Beathard recovers

December 3rd

-Garoppolo starts for the 49ers in place of Beathard against the Chicago Bears in Chicago. Despite his very limited knowledge of the offense, he goes 26 for 37 (70.27 percent), one interception and 293 yards. He finishes with an 82.4 passer rating. The 49ers beat the Bears 15-14. Garoppolo continues as the starter for the rest of the year.

December 10th

-49ers win their second game in a row against the Houston Texans 26-16

December 17th

-49ers win their third game against the Tennessee Titans 25-23. This is also Garoppolo’s first start at Levi’s. “Celek Time” begins to become a calling for tight end Garrett Celek.

December 24th

-The 49ers play the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars call the game “a T-Shirt and Hat game” due to the opponent and needing one more win to become division champs. The 49ers go on to lay 44 points and the Jaguars lose 44-33. Garoppolo completes 70 percent of his passes (21 for 30) and throws two touchdowns to one interception. His passer rating is 102.4. The Jaguars were one of the best defenses in the league.

December 31st

-49ers play the backups of the Los Angeles Rams who have secured a playoff spot. The 49ers proceed to blow them out 34-13. The team goes into the offseason on a five-game win streak and much hope for Garoppolo. The 49ers finish 2016 6-10. Garoppolo is a free agent.

2018 Offseason

January 2nd

-Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor may not play again. The dissolution of their defense begins.

January 5th

-ESPN’s Seth Wickersham publishes a piece on how New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady felt threatened with Garoppolo. Eventually Patriots owner Robert Kraft ordered Garoppolo be traded, which Patriots head coach Bill Belichick complied with. Belichick choose the 49ers because of his respect for Mike Shanahan, Kyle Shanahan’s father. The piece is later denied by the Patriots.

The 2018 Season — The Elegant Tank Part II: ACL’s Revenge

July 25th

August 3rd

August 10th

August 13th

August 19th

Brian Baldinger does his first Baldy Breakdown of Jimmy Garoppolo

September 1st

-Jerick McKinnon tears ACL in the final practice before the regular season starts. This would begin what is a laundry list of injuries and injured reserve players through 2018. A list we won’t be going into detail here.

-Oakland Raiders trade Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears. The 49ers were rumored to be in the running, but the Bears felt they wouldn’t pick high enough. Ironically, the 49ers wound up picking 2nd and Nick Bosa in the following draft.

September 22nd

September 23rd

-Against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, Jimmy Garoppolo goes down on a cut. At first looking like a concussion, he’s later carted off the field. Kyle Shanahan announces in the post-game that he fears it’s an ACL tear. The elegant tank returns.

-Another woe for the 49ers is bad defense and awful tackling. The Chiefs have their way and the 49ers lose 38-27. This tackling narrative will follow the team for the remainder of 2018. The loss of Garoppolo dooms the 49ers

September 24th

Jimmy Garroppolo ACL tear confirmed. C.J. Beathard announced as starter for the remainder of 2018.

October 7th

-The 49ers lose to the Cardinals in what Fooch calls, “the opposite of elegant tank.” The Cardinals would later be known as the worst team in the NFL.

-Thin at running back already, Matt Breida suffers an ankle injury that lingers for the rest of the season.

October 9th

-49ers begin getting flexed out of primetime games with the loss of their starting quarterback.

October 10th

-Due to his defenses failing miserably and not finishing a video game tutorial, Pat makes his first “Heat-O-Meter” for Robert Saleh.

October 15th

-Despite playing well, C.J. Beathard’s 49ers fall to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. The 49ers defense can’t finish yet again. Despite it’s mediocrity and the national media regarding it as such, the fact Aaron Rodgers won it at the last minute adds to his legend. When the shoe is on the other foot a year later, everyone will look the other way for when Jimmy Garoppolo does the same thing. Several times.

October 28th

October 29th

November 1st

-Due to injury, C.J. Beathard is relegated to backup role. Nick Mullens gets his first start against the Oakland Raiders on Thursday Night Football He goes 16 for 22, 262 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. The 49ers win by a score of 34-3 and Mullens passer rating of 151.9 is the highest for a quarterback in a debut since 1970. The 49ers never put Beathard back in the game.

-Raheem Mostert misses the rest of the 2018 season with a broken arm. Another injury.

March 4th

In the midst of the NFL Draft (and Day 4 of the NFL Combine) the 49ers are connected to three names with their second pick: Ohio State’s Nick Bosa, Kentucky’s Josh Allen, and Alabama’s Quinnen Williams. Bosa is seen as the obvious pick, but with Arizona at one, many speculate Williams or Allen will be the ones to go to the 49ers.

August 31st

September 1st

-49ers place Kentavius Street on IR

September 2nd

-Nick Mullens wins backup QB job over C.J. Beathard

September 5th

-Jimmie Ward breaks finger in practice

September 8th

-49ers open up the regular season as underdogs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite a sloppy affair, they go on to beat the Buccaneers, 31-17, The win kicks off an eight-game winning streak. Kwon Alexander was also ejected in the game.

September 15th

September 22nd

-Despite injuries and five turnovers, the 49ers notch another win against the Pittsburgh Steelers thanks to a fourth quarter downfield march with Jimmy Garoppolo hitting Dante Pettis in the redzone for the touchdown.

-The win also begins gathering national attention for the 49ers’ lethal defense and fierce pass rush, which has allowed less than 20 points per game.

October 7th

-The 49ers make a nationally televised statement stomping the Browns 31-3. Focus begins to trickle on the 49ers as if “they are for real”

October 13th

-49ers dominate an old foe, the Los Angeles Rams 20-7 in the Coliseum.

October 22nd

-49ers acquire Emmanuel Sanders in a trade with the Denver Broncos. The 49ers sent third and fourth round picks as compensation.

October 31st

-49ers call upon Jimmy Garoppolo to beat the Arizona Cardinals 28-25.

-George Kittle suffers an ankle injury that eventually forces him out of action for two weeks.

-Kwon Alexander suffers a pectoral injury that places him on IR and the assumption his season is over.

November 7th

-Robbie Gould suffers an injury in practice knocking him out of the upcoming Seattle game. He, Kittle, and others force a depleted 49ers team to go up against the Seattle Seahawks.

November 11th

-49ers eight-game win streak is snapped by the Seahawks. Missed field goals and the lack of playmakers eventually do them in.

November 18th

-Following a second, last-minute victory over the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers hit what is considered the toughest stretch of games in NFL History. Dubbed “The Gauntlet,” the 49ers face a home game against the Green Bay Packers (the “second best team in the NFC), a road game against the Baltimore Ravens (considered by some the best team in the NFL) and a road game against the New Orleans Saints (considered by some that ‘other’ best team in the NFL).

November 24th

-49ers make a nationally televised statement, crushing the Green Bay Packers 37-8. They go 1-0 in the Gauntlet. George Kittle returns in this game and catches a crucial deep pass that is used to seal the game and keep an Aaron Rodgers comeback.

December 1st

-49ers fall to the Baltimore Ravens 20-17. Their defense receives praise for holding the Ravens to 17 points.

December 29th

-49ers secure the No. 1 seed, homefield advantage, and a first round bye.

2020

January 10

Despite originally being done for the season. Kwon Alexander is activated off IR in time for the 49ers playoff game against the Vikings. The 49ers are fully healthy minues D.J. Jones and other utility players.

January 11

49ers crush the Vikings 27-10 and advance to the NFC Championship. Jimmy Garoppolo’s 11 completions are masked by the 49ers keeping things on the ground and rushing it over 40 times.